Nursing

Perform a new self-assessment. Rate yourself on clinical skills, based on your experiences during this practicum. Summarize the results.
Explain which goals you accomplished and which you did not. If you did not achieve a particular goal, explain how you could continue to work on it, perhaps in your next practicum experience.

ANSWER

Clinical skills

Nurse practitioners have to possess a wide range of technical and personal skills since one is constantly interacting with a diverse population. Performing and evaluating a self-assessment is essential as a new entry-level nurse practitioner to identify strengths and weaknesses (Fitzgerald, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Katz and Hirsch, 2012). The scope of practice in nursing differs depending on the level of skills among the nurse practitioners. My speciality, experience and training have counted towards the development of my clinical skills.

As a nurse practitioner, my goal has been to offer excellent patient-centred care which considers patient’s emotional, social, physical and cultural needs. My greatest clinical skills involve the administration of all forms of medication, practising precautions for infection control, performing and interpreting comprehensive physical examination and functional assessment. I have independently completed these skills without supervision. Considerably, patients are different which makes the administration of medications complex. Therefore, as a nurse, I am expected to perform and interpret comprehensive physical examination and functional assessment that offer individualized care taking into consideration the complications of each patient. For instance, while conducting physical examinations I have paid attention to the patient history to effectively understand their physical, social, emotional and cultural needs. Practising effective communication has increased my ability to be more empathetic and learn from others. I have highly maintained professional boundaries and therapeutic relationship with staff and clients. Communicating efficiently and effectively contributes to the overall experience, patient care and satisfaction (Smith, 2012).

As a nurse practitioner, it is always essential to conduct accurate mental and physical assessment since it is the basis of ensuring accurate treatment plan and diagnosis (DeWit and Williams, 2013). I can confidently perform a focused and comprehensive physical examination by applying the necessary techniques. However, an identified area for improvement includes my ability to differentiate between pathophysiological and psychopathology. To master these skills, I need to study and update myself to improve my clinical practice. Generally, my multifaceted skills have proven to be effective on many occasions during patient care and diagnosis of patient conditions.

References

DeWit, S. C., & Williams, P. A. (2013). Fundamental concepts and skills for nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Fitzgerald, C., Kantrowitz-Gordon, I., Katz, J., & Hirsch, A. (2012). Advanced practice nursing education: challenges and strategies. Nursing research and practice, 2012.

Smith, S. A. (2012). Nurse competence: a concept analysis. International journal of nursing knowledge, 23(3), 172-182.